The horror of senseless attacks
Yesterday, the 13th of June 2023, three wholly innocent people were killed, murdered, in Nottingham. While the police and the authorities are still trying to work out exactly what happened and why, it is clear that the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The newspapers are full of comment and reporting on the attacks. Headlines such as “a celebratory night out ended by a blood-curdling knife assault“, and “the family completely devastated at senseless murder of our son” are common across all the media. They describe, sadly and brutally, how fragile our own individual security and safety can sometimes be.
As I read the reporting, I don’t think anything more could’ve been done by the individuals. Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar were walking home together, having celebrated the end of exams. They were together not individuals. Ian Coates, who was attacked and killed a little later was a school caretaker leaving for work, a journey he had made at the same hour many hundreds of times before.
What is so striking is that these are everyday circumstances we have all found ourselves in, our daily commute or return home from a day or night out. It sadly reinforces a couple of personal security habits we should all practice.
Practice Vigilance
Firstly, even if you have been down that road or through that car park thousands of times before, practice vigilance. Try to be aware of who is around you. Is anything different, and if anybody or anything makes you nervous find an alternative route where you feel safe.
Be present, be vigilant, trust your gut.
Make sure others know what you are doing
Secondly, make sure others know what you’re doing. This may not be necessary for every turn of your journey but make sure someone knows when you are setting off, when you will arrive wherever that may be and how you are getting there. In such a way, others will spot your absence and be aware if something out of the ordinary happens.
Make good Communication a habit
In this day and age we have so much easy access to smart phones and other means of communication. Make sure you carry it with you and know how to use it quickly to reach out and get help.
Learn Basic First Aid
And finally, First Aid saves lives. Make sure that you and your friends or family have at the very least a basic understanding of first aid. It will help you jump the mental barrier of getting involved and may be enough to save someone, stabilise their injury or get help.
There’s plenty of good first aid courses available across the country and online.
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